Final stretch for school budget

If it’s May, it’s time for the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board to start ironing out the budget for the next school year.

After establishing a preliminary budget earlier this year, school board directors held a hearing on the proposed final budget during a May 2 session. There will be more discussion on the proposed budget during the May 9 work session and the one in June before a final vote on June 20.

The current proposal calls for total revenues of $82.4 million with expenditures of just less than $82.6 million. There is also an uncommitted fund balance of $3.3 million to offset the shortfall, according to district Business Manager Bob Cochran.

As has been the case for several years, taxes will be increasing for district property owners. District school taxes will go up 2.82 percent, from 26.99 to 27.75 mills in Chester County. For Chadds Ford Township property owners — the only district township in Delaware County — the increase will be 3.15 percent, bringing the millage up from 22.89 to 23.61 mills. (A mill is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.)

“That represents to the average residential assessed value around $200 in both counties,” Cochran said.

The difference in millage rate hikes between the two counties, he said, is that counties reassess based on different base years. Chester County uses 1996 as its base year, but Delaware County uses 1998 for its base.

The weighted average of the increase is 2.88 percent. While the Act 1 limit this year is 2.4 percent, the district can take advantage of the exception dollars used for special education and the teachers’ retirement fund contribution to avoid a referendum.

Cochran said that based on other revenue sources — state and federal — the district needs to get 78.5 percent of its revenue from property taxes.

Expenditures in the proposed budget are $3.2 million more than last year. Cochran said that is based on an increase in salaries — $2.2 million — and benefits — $888,000. Those benefits include the contribution to the teachers’ retirement system, which now makes up 50 percent of benefit costs.

The combination of salaries and benefits makes up 72.92 percent of the budget.

Of the salaries, 65 percent is for classroom specific education,” Cochran said, “and an additional 12.9 percent for the support staff.”

The remainder is for administration, building and grounds, transportation, coaches and crossing guards.

According to Superintendent John Sanville, the proposed budget reflects an investment in the children. It focuses on reducing class size, on teacher development and on increasing use of technology.

“It does these things while recognizing the commitment of our community, through dollars, to provide for our children,” Sanville said.

He called it “fair and reasonable” and “brings resources to our children in the classroom.”

The board can make changes to the proposal, but the directors will vote on approving the proposed final budget on May 16 at Pocopson Elementary School, then vote on the budget as final during its June 20 meting in the district office.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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